Unexpected Kindness
by LilacNightmare
Summary: Katrina / Hessian. Take place after Katrina learn from Ichabod that the Horseman is being controlled. She finds the Horseman's head in her house...


This story is a response to TheElegantFaeries challenge in the Sleepy Hollow forums!

This story follows the movie but would be considered AU because of the Katrina/Hessian pairing. Rated M for later chapters! I do not own anything belonging to Sleepy Hollow or its creators; I am just writing for fun! Thanks for reading!

The last few days had turned Katrina's life upside down. Nothing, though, shook her so badly as what Ichabods feverish ranting had revealed. She was even more disturbed as the constable later revealed her feelings for her. It showed her two things. One, she never felt anything for Brom and two, she did not get the reaction she had hoped for when Ichabod gave her his charming smile and endearing words.

The only thing she had left to do was to pour her frustrations into her cleaning. The servant girl had recently gone missing and so she took over some of her responsibilities. Katrina climbed the steps to the room her stepmother shared with her father with her basket. They

were gone so she thought that this would be the perfect time to collect laundry.

She thought about what Ichabod had said about the Horseman being controlled. Clearly she was not the only witch in town. She sighed with frustration as she stripped the blankets and sheets from the bed.

As she pulled the last sheet from the bed it turned out to be a bit stubborn and she knocked her arm into the nearby bed stand. A vase fell and shattered at her feet.

Katrina muttered under her breath as she dropped to her knees, sheet abandoned, and started to pick up the pieces. She reached her hand underneath to grab a piece that had wandered when her hand touched something. The cloth surprised her as her family never usually put things under their beds.

Katrina pulled on the cloth and nearly shrieked as it came closer to her. The cloth had fallen away from what it was wrapped around and soon she found herself staring at a weathered skull with wicked teeth sitting on top of a knit blanket.

"This has to be it." Katrina exclaimed aloud.

Quickly she wrapped the skull back up and hugged it to her as she hurried from the room. She didn't even bother waking up the Constable or try and find young Masbeth; she had another plan. She rushed to the front door and grabbed her cloak hanging in the corner.

She looked over her shoulder in sudden paranoia then left quietly. Once she was outside she hurried to the western woods. She was concerned someone had seen her, but was sure no one would follow her once she was in the forest. She took on a fast pace as she briskly walked to the twisted tree that Ichabod had told her of.

[^I can't remember if she had been to the tree prior to this part in the movie so if she had let me know otherwise I am just going to leave this part like this.]

Katrina looked on in curiosity at the tree in front of her and gently touched it with her free hand. It pulsated and she pulled her hand back. She waited for something, anything, to happen but nothing did.

She sat down on the ground next to the tree and frowned as she thought of what spells her stepmother could have used to summon the monster.

Meanwhile, deep within his hellish abyss, the Horseman could tell his head had changed owners. He did not like this one bit. His anger stirred as he prepared to leave his portal.

Katrina found herself staring at the morbid skull. She ran a finger over the sharpened teeth and recoiled in pain as they caused a small cut on her finger. She sucked on her injured digit and wondered what sort of horrors this poor man had seen. Sadness creeped into her as she started thinking about how he was bound by her evil stepmother to perform these awful murders.

"But why?" She questioned aloud as the earth started to suddenly tremble. She had no time to react or move as the nearby tree opened up and headless ghost launched his horse in a jump right above where she sat. Katrina screamed as the hooves from the demonic horse barley cleared her head.

Frantically she stood up to face the being that had suddenly appeared. The Horseman had turned his steed around to face her and then dismounted. He rest a hand on his sword as he watched her.

Katrina fumbled with the package in her arms and threw the cloth aside. With outstretched hands she held the weathered skull out to its owner.

The Horseman walked to her and snatched it up. He was surprised that she had just handed it to him but also thrilled. Quickly he put it to his shoulders so that it would reattach itself. Katrina had to look away at the horrific display.

When she looked back her breath caught in her throat. The man before her was deathly pale but had marvelous black hair. His hair was as wild as his piercing eyes. She blushed visibly caught off guard by his looks.

He grinned sadistically with the same sharpened teeth. A bit of blood from Katrina's finger that she had cut earlier was still apparent on these teeth. She watched in sick curiosity as he ran his tongue over in pleasure at the taste of it.

He walked slowly to her and looked down at the small woman.

"Why?" He asked in a thick accent.

"Why what?" Katrina asked back.

"Why don't you control me like Lady Van Tassel?"

Katrina had a hard time understanding his English and shifted nervously.

"I do not want anyone else to die… and you should not be kept for such a reason." She finally reasoned.

"What reason should I be kept?" The Horseman chuckled at his question.

"I uh. I really wouldn't know. But not to kill." Katrina took a step back.

"I am Klaus." The undead man said as he extended his hand to her.

"Katrina Van Tassel." The young girl felt she did not have a choice but to take his hand and so she did.

Klaus gripped her hand firmly then lifted it to his mouth. He kissed the top of it then noticed the cut on her finger. He grinned and licked her injured finger as she struggled to pull away.

"You taste good." He smirked as he finally let her hand go.

Katrina went pale with fear and turned to run. The Horseman grabbed her and backed her up to his twisted tree.

"Do not be afraid little one. I have no intention of hurting you after you have given me my freedom… unless you want me too." The Hessian loved the way she squirmed in his hold.

"I do not know if I can trust what you say." Katrina finally said and waited to be released.

Klaus let her go and pushed a golden lock of hair behind her ear.

"If I wanted you dead you would be dead already." He stated simply.

Katrina could agree on that. But she also knew there were worse things than death. She shuddered.

"So my stepmother was controlling you then?" Katrina secretly knew it had to be her… she could never imagine her dear father doing such a thing.

Klaus nodded. He motioned for her to sit near him as he sat near where his grave was. Katrina decided to comply; he seemed less frightening when he was not towering over her.

"I was trapped in the woods here by soldiers. I would have escaped too if it were not for her. She snapped a twig and alerted my enemies to my location thus getting me killed. She gave her soul to the devil for my possession. She was evil as a child. What a foolish thing to do." The Horseman looked away and had a weary look on his face which he quickly pushed aside and hid.

Katrina suddenly felt that sadness for him return. He had done nothing wrong to deserve being caged by her stepmother. She felt herself placing a comforting hand on his shoulder without thinking. Her heart went to him like no other.

"It is all about money as many things in life are…" Klaus told Katrina about the reasons for her stepmothers killings and revenge. By the time he finished his story Katrina felt sick and forgot about her hand on the undead man.

The Hessian carefully removed her hand from his shoulder and held it with his leather clad one. He was much larger than her but her fear had subsided as she worried over the recent events that led her here.

"The Constable in town was right I just never imagined that she was the one controlling you. I … I am so sorry for all of this."

Klaus was shocked. "You are not to be sorry Miss. Lady Van Tassel is the one to be sorry as her soul now belongs to the Devil."

"And yours doesn't?"

"The killings done by me in war were to men deserving. Men who were rapists and women beaters who had no where else to go but the army. I never killed anyone willingly who did not deserve it." Klaus stood enraged at the notion that he deserved the hell he had been placed in.

"I am sorry I did not mean it in the way that you think!" Katrina stood to face him and hoped he would calm down. "I returned your skull to you because no one should be forced into what you were!"

Klaus nodded and looked down as he pictured the innocent family he was forced to slaughter at the bidding of Lady Van Tassel.

Katrina went to him and lifted his chin gently so he would look at her.

"I truly think you deserve nothing of this. Truly." She gave him a warm smile as she stroked his chin with her thumb.

Klaus was touched for the first time in his life. She was the only person that had been this kind to him. His rough mask of indifference faded away and he cupped her hand with his.

"You are very different." He struggled to find the words he was looking for. "I mean special. Gentle. A white witch."

Katrina pulled away eventually from his touch and wondered at herself for being so kind to a demon… and enjoying it.

"I guess I will go back and tell the Constable about what I found out… among other things." Katrina sighed realizing she would eventually have to tell Ichabod she had no interest in him. Her heart could not find his even though she tried.

"And your father?" The Hessian questioned.

"My father!" Katrina's eyes went wide. "He went with my stepmother! They are alone!"

"I will take you to the entrance of the woods if you like." Klaus offered. He hated to see the beautiful blonde go, but it was urgent she get to her father and warn him.

"I would like that thanks." The young girl smiled and was shocked at the Hessian's gentleness with her as he helped her on his horse.

Klaus held onto the girl, his rescuer, tightly as he took her towards town. He mentally vowed to keep this precious girl safe.


End file.
